Nine Steps Leaders Can Take to Build Trust - Slide 2

Realize that being trustworthy doesn’t mean you have to be a Boy Scout. You don’t even have to be a warm or kind person. On the contrary, history teaches us that some of the most trustworthy people can be harsh, tough or socially awkward — but their promises must be inviolate and their decisions fair.

Corporate leaders as a group have largely failed to earn the trust of their employees, and that includes IT managers, who may be particularly lacking in some of the qualities that define a trusted leader.

That’s the assessment of John Hamm, a Silicon Valley-based venture capitalist, leadership advisor and author of the book, “Unusually Excellent: The Necessary Nine Skills Required for the Practice of Great Leadership.” Don Tennant recently spoke with Hamm, who made it clear that he sees among employees in corporate America a widespread lack of trust of those in authority in their companies, and that the fault lies squarely with the leaders. What lies at the heart of this failure to earn employee trust isn’t maliciousness, Hamm said. It’s obliviousness.

In his book, Hamm has outlined some steps leaders can take to build trust in their companies. Those steps are highlighted in this slideshow.